Explosion reported in central Istanbul

The moment a suspected Islamic State suicide bomber killed at least 10 people in an attack in the Turkish city of Istanbul was captured on one tourist’s camera.

The Sultanahmet neighborhood is Istanbul’s main sightseeing area and home of the Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia museum.

“This incident once again has shown us that we have to stay united against terrorism”, he added.

Additionally, of the 15 people injured, two are in serious condition, the minister said.

German officials refused to comment on whether they believed the Germans had been killed randomly or whether the attackers had targeted a German tour group.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday that the bomber was linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Davutoğlu called Chancellor Angela Merkel “to express condolences”.

The provincial governor’s office reported 15 wounded in an explosion in the area around Sultanahmet Square at 10.20 a.m. local time (08.20 GMT).

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters in Berlin that there may be Germans among those killed in the explosion. That attack was initially claimed by a far-left group, the DHKP-C, but officials later said it had been carried out by a woman with suspected Islamist militant links.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry confirmed one citizen sustained “minor injuries”. “Unfortunately, we have 10 dead including foreigners and Turkish nationals”, Erdogan said in a televised address on Turkey’s NTV television station. Germany has warned its nationals to avoid tourist sites in Istanbul.

Turkey has been on high alert after a series of attacks blamed on ISIS, including a twin suicide bombing at a peace rally in Ankara last October that killed 103 people. A viral video of an explosion on 31 peaceful demonstrators in the border town of Suruç circulated the internet in July, while a twin bombing in the capital Ankara was the worst in Turkey’s history, with 95 lives lost and around 250 wounded.

Turkey has also been hit by bomb attacks blamed by prosecutors on the so-called Islamic State group.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Istanbul blast but Islamist, leftist and Kurdish militants, who are battling Ankara in southeast Turkey, have all carried out attacks in the past.